


The Story of Tonight.....And The Years Leading Up To That

by The_Firebird



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demons, Friends to Lovers, Guarding Angel AU, John Winchester Being an Asshole, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Protective Dean, Protective Gabriel, Weechesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 03:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10402971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Firebird/pseuds/The_Firebird
Summary: Gabe becomes a guardian angel for Sam. This is pretty much what happens after that





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how this shit works, I just hope I did the challenge right

 

Gabriel, or Loki rather, was teaching some idiots a lesson about harassment when he heard it. A cry, not one of pain or sadness, but of life. He followed the sound to a hospital room in Lawrence, Kansas. It seemed his Dad was a jokester, and a bad one at that. Making him a guardian angel for a vessel of the apocalypse? Was he nuts?

 

Gabriel stuck around for a while, only leaving to take care of horrible people in the neighborhood. Child molester here, kidnapper there, but he was called to a pagan meeting and decided Mary and John could handle Sammy for a night six months after the kid was born. They were parents after all, and Mary was a hunter at heart. Dean had turned out okay so far, what harm could it do?

 

They were meeting for some shit about believers and sacrifices and how they would have to stop accepting them. He wasn’t feigning the boredom he felt, messing little by little with the script Kali had written up, the notes Baldr had taken. It was short-lived, though, because they soon caught onto him and it was never fun when the mark knows it’s a trick.

 

He had been away from Sam for no more than three hours when he heard it, a shriek of pure terror, a scream he knew to be Sam’s. Gabriel didn’t even excuse himself as he disappeared from the meeting room and reappeared next to Sam. The poor baby was screaming, watching his mother being burned on the ceiling, of course he was screaming.

Azazel was there, feeding his blood to Sam, not enough to do any serious damage, but enough to cause problems later. The demon didn’t stay for more than two seconds after the archangel arrived, though.

 

Gabriel went to pick him up, but had to go invisible at the last second as John burst into the room. He grabbed Sam and handed him to Dean, who ran out the door and sat on the impala. The four-year-old pulled a house phone from his pants pocket and dialed 911. Gabriel might’ve used a little magic to get John out of the house and the fire trucks there, but who was to know?

 

The archangel posed as a paramedic, checking on Sam and assuring the baby of his presence. Gabriel could smell the demon in the house, and could see the demon blood moving through the baby’s veins. He held onto Sam just a bit tighter for that, assuring both the infant and himself they were safe.

 

Soon, though, Dean was pulling on his leg and asking for his brother back, which Gabriel gave. He went invisible again, but let Sam see him when the baby started crying.

 

* * *

 

 

It took another couple years before another incident happened. Dean was six by then and Sam was two, John constantly left the boys in the hotel room to hunt for what had killed Mary. The hunter had been tracking a nest of vampires, and they weren’t happy about it. Gabriel had taken to making sure the kids were eating and fairly happy, though Sam had been asking where ‘dada’ and ‘mama’ were since he could talk (9 months, Gabe was so proud).

 

Dean knew about monsters, John couldn’t hide it from him, not that he even tried. John had stopped caring about his kids as soon as Mary was dead, or at least made it look that way to an outside viewer. Gabriel had taken to caring for the kids, not only was it his job, but Sam and Dean hadn’t done anything and didn’t deserve what John gave them.

 

Technically, only Sam was his job to take care of, and he had already failed at it if only partially, and taking care of Sam meant taking care of Dean. Because whenever Dean fell ill, Sam was there, looking at him with the most adorable eyes he had ever seen, and he could never resist those eyes.

 

“Ladies would just sigh and swoon if you gave them that look.” He had said one time, then regretted it as Sam started crying and Gabriel felt a horrible feeling settle in his in his stomach. He realized it then, he wasn’t Sam’s guardian angel, he was the child’s intended soulmate. It was so rare, especially since Sam could sense it too. He would just play along and inform him later, let him make the decision.

 

Gabriel, though, he thought he was one of them. He thought he had done too much shit in his life to be considered worthy of having a soulmate. His father must be thinking he was really funny now, setting him up with a Winchester and riding out the apocalypse.

 

Sam seemed to already be leaning towards him, trusting him even though he trusted nobody else. He was only two, but watching your mother burn above you while you are helpless to stop it… that took a toll on the human subconscious. Nevertheless, Gabriel was honored.

 

* * *

 

Nothing really happened until Sam was five, Dean being nine by then. John was off hunting a shtriga, and Gabriel didn’t reveal himself no matter how much he wanted to punch him into tomorrow. The hunt was going routinely, John dropping his kids off to fend for themselves with way less than enough money to eat (Gabriel always gave them a little more though, or made food appear, because he wasn’t going to let his charges starve), Dean tucked Sam into bed, making sure he had had enough dinner and knew what to do, because he had to go grocery shopping that night. Dean stopped off at the arcade after picking up some cereal, a couple candy bars and bread at the store, having everything else they needed already at the room.

He was only there for a few minutes, but it was still too long. He walked through the door just in time to hear glass break in his brother’s room, and ran into it, Gabriel by his side. Dean grabbed the shotgun next to the door and shot it, but it did nothing. Gabriel was about to step in, but John pushed past him and the monster ran. Their father did something surprising, grabbing Sam and hugging him, something he hadn’t done for Dean in years. He could see a little bit of jealousy in the older brother’s stare, but it was overshadowed by the worry he had for the five year old.

 

Everything else that day went normally, save John wanting to leave ASAP, despite the monster still being alive. Gabriel was watching over Sam like he had been doing the kid’s entire life (Sam had gotten used to having someone watch him sleep, it was more of a comfort than a burden), but Sam was awake even after his family had passed out in the motel they had stopped at.

 

“Gabe? You there?” The youngest Winchester asked into the room so dark he couldn’t see a thing.

 

“Yeah, Sammy.” The archangel said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What do you need?”

 

“Could you...I don’t know….hold me? I’m scared, but if I tell dad that he’ll only tell me to man up.”

 

“Of course, Kiddo.” Gabriel climbed into the bed, which might’ve been comfier than motel beds, who was he to give his charge uncomfortable things? He pulled Sam into the same kind of embrace his father had earlier, lacking the desperation and practically pouring out comfort into the human. Sam just burrowed into him, soaking up what he needed, and falling asleep to Gabriel’s unnecessary heartbeat.

 

* * *

 

The next ‘situation’ had to do with humans. Gabriel always posed as a janitor or PE teacher while Sam was in school. They ate lunch together and Sam had a little more leniency when it came to classes. Sam sometimes had a few cuts and bruises on him that Gabriel couldn’t heal without blowing his cover, and so what if he didn’t yell at him to run faster and always made sure he was feeling alright afterwards. Diner food wasn’t the best on the kid’s stomach, especially since they could mostly only afford dry things and milk otherwise.

 

This _situation_ dealt with a couple of sixth graders. Sam, being in fifth, didn’t do  much. Most kids avoided doing anything to hurt the kid’s feelings just because of how big and protective Dean was, but there were still the idiot few who decided to go against their best interest. In almost every school, there was a group of kids, rarely any one kid, who would find out something about Sam’s home life that they would exploit. Whether it be his awkward spread of arms and legs, the fact they lived in a crappy motel, their father wasn’t ever there, their mother was dead, Sam’s amazing report card or all of the above. Sam never fought back with punches when he knew could knock them on their asses or defended himself against the hurtful words being thrown at him. There was only one school the youngest Winchester had hit a classmate, and the bully was attacking another kid, not even Sam.

 

This school had a group of four tormentors; James, Leo, Luke and Rebecca. The boys would throw punches and kicks and shoves while the female used words against him. Anything she could find was used against him, someway, somehow.

 

Sam kept it to himself as best he could. It was something Gabriel would never understand, him trying to hide his well being from his family. He wrote off aches and pains as clumsiness and hunting, though nobody really believed him, and Gabriel had to do a little bit of work in order for his cover to be believable, so he couldn’t keep an eye on Sam for the entire day.

 

Every time Sam walked into the lunchroom or to out of the classroom after school, he would sometimes have a black eye or a bruise or a very, very slight limp. He tried to hide it the entire three weeks they were in Dallas, Texas, but Gabriel caught them in the act.

 

The three boys had circled around Sam, starting with punching him, but quickly moving to kicking. Gabriel was across the blacktop, running as soon as he saw that Sam wouldn’t fight back. Sam lay there, barely moving, and just to brace against each attack. Gabriel pulled the bullies off of him, glaring at them as he checked the damage.

 

“Kiddo, are you alright?” Gabriel asked, growing even more worried when he didn’t get an answer.

 

Soon he was being pulled off, though, and he would’ve given more of a fight, but he gave in when he saw it was Dean trying to get to Sam. The older Winchester looked heartbroken at not only seeing his brother bruised and bloodied, but over the fact that Sam had tried to hide it from him, that he’d been successful at hiding it for so long.

 

“Sam? Sammy!” Dean yelled, shaking his brother’s shoulders as if trying to wake him up. He looked around for the guilty party, eyes glaring when he found them. “Bastards, I’m gonna-”

 

“No you’re not.” Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder, unflinchingly looking into the murderous gaze Dean was giving him. “Take him to the nurse, I’ll get these guys in the principal's office.”

 

Dean glared at him for a few seconds more, then gently picked his hurt brother up like he weighed ten pounds, and started walking to the health office.

 

Gabriel made sure the bullies got their punishment, even if it took an hour and was only an expulsion and parent conferences for each. He went to check on Sam in the care center, only to find a distraught nurse there telling him Sam had a few broken ribs and was rushed away in an ambulance.

 

Gabriel couldn’t go to the hospital right away without looking suspicious, and he felt terrible about ignoring the sirens he had heard earlier. The sirens he had ignored because of how common they were in that area of town. Gabriel finished that day’s job, then appeared in the hospital room where his little moose was.

 

Sam was hooked up to machines, Dean nowhere in sight. Sam sat, trying to watch tv while seemingly fighting off the drugs he was hooked up to. Sam looked over when the door shut. He smiled drunkenly.

 

“Gabe. I was wonderin’ when you were gonna make it. Did you come over to use the magic fingers?” Sam asked wondrously.

 

“No, honey. Not here.”

 

“But Gabe.” Sam whined. “It really hurts, you make the hurt go away.”

 

“I know, I’ll get you home and then we can take care of it, okay? I just need to change a bit on the forms,” He picked up the papers and switched out some words for others, changing the major injuries to minors, stuff that would let them leave. “And get you out of here. I’ll just be a little bit, bye Sammy.” he disappeared

 

Sam pouted as soon as he left. Dean walked into the room with the doctor, from where they were arguing outside about when he could go home and about their father. “Hiya Sammy. I can’t get you out of here until Dad’s back.”

 

“Deeeeaaaaannnn. Dad doesn’t need to be here, pppssshhhh, I have an angel who takes care of me. He has magic fingers Dean, they take the hurt away.” Sam was high as a kite with all the shit he was on.

 

“Not something I wanted to hear, especially before you were at least seventeen.”

 

“No! Not like that……………….you’ll see in a li’l bit. He’ll be here any second.”

 

Not even a minute later, Gabriel, looking like John Winchester, burst into the room. All worried looks and reassurances. It was nothing like the real thing, Dean and Sam knew, Gabriel even knew. But it was what was going to get the nurses to let them go.

 

Sure enough, they were out of the hospital in less than ten minutes, a ‘67 Impala waiting for them out front. Gabriel drove towards their motel for five minutes, before going off to somewhere secluded and just flying them home.

 

“What the fuck are you?!” Dean asked as soon as Gabriel got them in the room and dropped the guise.

 

“Don’t shout, Sammy already has a headache.”

 

“Don’t tell me what to-!” Dean would’ve said more, but he found he couldn’t move or speak.

 

“Just let me fix up your brother and then we can talk outside, he’s been through enough, yes?”

 

Sam was on the bed, still having the hospital drugs in his veins, had fallen asleep in the car, but was now awake on the bed. “Don’t be mean, Gabe, he’s just worrrrried.”

 

“I know, honey. I am too. Let’s just fix you up.” Gabe rest his palm on Sam’s forehead and let his grace search out the injuries, stitching them together and taking away the pain. He cleared out the drugs from his system, no need for those.

 

“Thank you, Gabriel.” Sam said, relaxing into the bed and breathing deeper.

 

“Always, munchkin. So, Deano, you had questions?” The archangel said from his spot on Sam’s bed, holding his human in his arms like the soon-to-be hunter would disappear.

 

Dean, who could miraculously talk and move, pulled out his gun and started with the questions. “What the fuck are you.”

 

Gabriel opened his mouth, but Sam beat him to it. “Archangel and pagan god. And yes they exist, both of them.”

 

“How long have you known each other.”

 

“Since the little guy was born. I held him before your mother did, made sure he was healthy and washed him off.” Sam blushed and hid his face in Gabriel’s shoulder.

 

“Why did you hide him from me, Sammy?” Dean asked, lowering his gun since Gabriel had gone that long and not harmed either of them.

 

“He was always there, if you couldn’t see him there was a reason he didn’t want you to. And you wouldn’t have believed me, not without proof.”

 

The next question was for Gabriel. “Why didn’t you save mom?” Sam stiffened, tears prickling his eyes from the question he had always wanted to ask, but never did.

 

Gabriel sighed and hugged Sam tighter. “I couldn’t. I had been watching over you two for six months straight and was called away for a meeting with the pagans. Just some boring little meeting that would be weird if I hadn’t attended. Plus Mary and John hadn’t done wrong in the four years they raised you, what harm could it do?

 

A demon got in the house. Azazel, but I smote his ass the second I got in the room. Poor Sammy was screaming his head off.” Gabriel now had some tears running down his face. “Of course he was, he saw his mother die in front of him. By the time I realized what was happening, Mary was dead and I needed to get Sam out of there, without letting John see me. Your dad stormed into the room and handed Sam off to you, Deano, and tried to save Mary, I posed as a paramedic to check all three of you over. And man did you not want to let go of Sam, but I had to make sure there wasn’t any smoke in his lungs, don’t want you getting asthma and making your job even harder.”

 

Dean wiped a couple tears from his cheek. “So why do you hide? Janitor, paramedic, just plain old hiding from dad and I. Why do you do it?”

 

“Heaven lost its charm long ago. I knew Sammy here wouldn’t tell anybody, for reasons you will know of when you’re older, but I couldn’t be sure about you guys. Or about how you’d react. Or about what heaven would do or see.”

 

“Then why tell me now?”

 

“Because Sam was hurt, and that took priority.”

 

“Okay.” Dean said, deciding that their priorities matched and he couldn’t get rid of the pagan if he tried. So he turned on the crappy tv and watched the cartoons Sam still liked. All of the sudden the picture was clear and the screen was bigger, Dean looked over at the archangel.

 

“What? Now I can spoil you too.” He said with a wink as he laid down, dragging Sam with him.

  


The kids who sent Sam to the hospital were expelled from the whole school district and it would be going on a criminal record. You didn’t send someone to the hospital without repercussions.

 

John returned two days later. The incident had been on the news and John decided they needed to move to a new town, somewhere Sam wouldn’t be recognized and John wouldn’t be possibly arrested. He decided, with one look to the (fake) cast on his arm and (again, fake) bandages on his ribs, he decided all the punishment he would give would be no dinner and being told not to blow their cover again. The ladder was said in John Winchester’s way, telling his kid to “Man up and fight back.”

 

Gabriel made sure he ate that night, even if it was just some soup in the middle of the night so _his_ cover wouldn’t be blown.

 

* * *

 

Dean adjusted well, considering there was a new person he had to get used to being there. He found Gabriel in every disguise he wore, now knowing his face, and met up with him every lunch he had. It gave them time to talk about Sam without him being there, also for Dean to ask some of the questions his brother wouldn’t enjoy hearing, the questions or answers.

 

“So, what made you so interested in my brother?” Dean asked the first day.

 

“Pardon?” Gabriel looked up, surprised.

 

“There are seven billion humans in the world, why Sammy?”

 

The archangel sighed, he knew this question would be coming soon. “I told you that I’ve been there since Sam was born, right?” Dean nodded. “Yeah, well, that’s because….How do I say this without sounding corny? He’s my, ah, he’s my soulmate.”

 

“Wait, those actually exist?” Dean asked in a stage whisper.

 

“Yes, but they are so very rare. When someone does have one, and they have siblings, it’s likely dear old dad decided to pair at least one sibling with someone else. So it’s much more likely for you to have one than, say, whatever kid is behind me snickering because you’re sitting with the janitor.”

 

“How did you….?”

 

Gabriel leaned in to whisper, “Archangel, Dean. Plus there is security mirror thing right behind you.”

 

“Oh.” Dean said, a bit disappointed.

 

“Oh, cheer up, big guy. Would it make you feel better if I got him in trouble.”

 

The guy was a dick, so why wouldn’t Dean be up for that. “Sure.”

 

Gabriel snapped, then the kid yelled, “FOOD FIGHT!!!”  And hit Dean square in the face with mashed potatoes, even though nobody was joining in.

 

Gabriel winked at Dean as he glared, then got up to take the asshole to the office. With his history of trouble, the guy was looking at a suspension and at least two detentions.

 

Later that day, Sam came home with a black eye from an incident in the bathroom. Gabriel didn’t know what to do.

 

The next day, at lunch, Dean had more questions. “So what does the whole ‘soulmate’ thing do to Sammy?”

 

“Not much, really. Easier telepathy, because his brain will automatically see me as not a threat, I’m tuned in to extreme signs of distress and elation….besides an inclination to choose each other over someone else, not much unless he decides to act on the potential.”

 

“Potential of what?”

 

“Potential of a bond.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“It’s, ah, it’s different for everybody.” Gabriel wrings his hands together, uncomfortable talking about such an intimate topic out in public and with anybody other than Sam, but his brother has the right to know that it won’t harm him. “Only a few couples have bonded, what with how uncommon it is to have a soulmate, only a few actually meet them and then even fewer actually have the power to bond, therefore there aren’t many records of a bond taking place, nevermind with a couple that is specifically angel and human.”

 

“So you have no idea what this might do to my brother?”

 

“Not in the definitive sense. There are a lot of things that could change. He could develop some kind of self-healing, maybe be able to sense my mental state or where I am, most likely the bond would open a connection so we could both feel each other’s emotions. But the only guarantee is it would not hurt Sam, never. And I wouldn’t either, never on purpose and it’s very unlikely to happen by accident.”

 

“Okay. I’ll trust you. But you know what’ll happen if you do, right?”

 

“I’ve been hunted by Winchesters enough to know just how vicious and relentless you guys are, Campbells too. You don’t have to make any threats, the only reason they didn’t kill me is because they didn’t know _what_ I was, I have no doubt you’ll find out how soon enough.”

 

“Good.”

 

Then the bell rang and Dean went to class.

 

Nothing much happened for a while after that.

 

* * *

 

It seemed like making himself known had only done good things, especially at the age Dean had been at, when he could take care of himself but could use a bit of guidance here and there, needing a few more directions to do what he needed to do in order to protect himself, Sam and whoever else needed protecting. John couldn’t care less about who was saved, just who he killed and getting revenge. Dean knew what it is to take care of someone, day in, day out. To give up your freedoms and luxuries. John just knew what it was to raise a soldier, not a boy as good-hearted and respectable and smart as the young teen. Gabriel knew he owed all of what Sam was to Dean, he could just take credit for giving then food and protection, important things, but they do little to shape the person, that was all Dean. All Gabriel could do from here is try and give Dean all he had given Sam.

 

* * *

 

Five years later, Sam was applying to college. Gabriel couldn’t have been more proud, he knew he would get in, straight A’s even with all the moving around, having so much knowledge on mythology and an archangel who had helped Archimedes with his homework, he was on his way to be a lawyer. Sam was going to do great things, help people around him and keep his soul free of the scars housing Lucifer would place on it.

 

Then John fucking Winchester came back in town. Sam was so excited to show Dean and Gabriel his acceptance letter, just when he burst through the door, obviously having been drinking. He took one look at the paper in Sam’s hands, ripping it up and yelling at his kid. He told his youngest that if he was to leave he would never be accepted back.

 

Gabriel told Dean to stay put, that he would handle Sam and that he should put his dad down for a nap and try and get him to apologize, and then they could sort things out from there. Gabriel chased after Sam, not a very difficult feat when you could fly and sense at all times where the person you want to go to is.

 

As it was, Sam had his duffle flung over his shoulder and he was defiantly walking away, already almost the half mile towards the highway. They were in New Mexico, was he really expecting to walk all the way to California? It might’ve just been symbolic, trying to work out as much energy and get as far away from his disapproving dad all at once.

 

As soon as he caught up to Sam, he flew them over to Stanford, California, right in front of an apartment building. He grabbed a flyer, bought an apartment and furnished it in under an hour, using a bit of archangel magic to speed along the process.

 

Right when things settled down, Gabriel finally turned his full -because when was he not thinking about him- attention to his soulmate. It seemed that Sam had used all his energy and walls to do what he did, and they all came crashing down as they settled down in their new home.

 

He cried and cried and cried until he would’ve drowned a fish. Gabriel took a little peak at the surface thoughts swimming around Sam’s head. It was mostly random thoughts of never being able to do good by his father and his brother not wanting to be around him - pretty much his whole world crashing down on him.

 

Gabriel took Sam into his arms, holding him close and rocking him to calmness. It took many an hour, but they finally laid down to rest. Sam was out like a light, so the archangel chose that moment to call Dean.

 

_“Hey, how is he?”_

 

“Could be better, but he’ll get better. How’s your dad?”

 

_“I beat him over the head. He’s passed out right now, I wouldn’t let that bastard make Sam give up his dreams. Where are you now?”_

 

“California. Across the street from where Sam got accepted. I got us an apartment so he we could stay here for a little while and have you over if you wanted to.”

 

_“Okay. Hey, do you think you could fly me over tomorrow? I’ll talk to my dad and see if I want to be around him for the next while or not. Plus I have some things I want to tell Sam, things he’ll only accept in person.”_

 

“Of course I’ll bring you here. You’ll always be welcome here. Just call or text me when you want to and I’ll be right there.”

 

_“Okay. Well, I have to go to bed, get dad up early and make sure his hangover is bad.”_

 

Gabriel chuckled. “You do that. I’m going to hop into your brother’s dreams and make sure everything is good.”

 

“ _Damn my life is weird. I remember when I would’ve shot and stabbed you for being able to do that.”_

 

“Yeah, I remember those days too. Go to bed, Dean.”

 

“ _Yeah, alright. Night, Gabe.”_

 

 _“_ Goodnight, Dean.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sam’s dreams were fairly safe for his consciousness, Gabriel just steered him away to better visions. Visions of good college days and brotherly moments.

 

Sam woke up in Gabriel’s arms, not for the first time, but they hadn’t done this in forever, it felt nice. Sam had stopped having terrifying nightmares a while back, long accepting the way the world was with its literal monsters and demons lurking the not-so-shadowy corners of the broad daylight, that anyone could be a monster and hurt him or Dean.

 

But what concerned him was not the world, right now, it was how he felt in this position. He had known for a while that he loved his archangel, but he just thought it was the familial love he felt for Dean, not whatever he was feeling right now with Gabe holding him so tightly and gently, like a fragile piece of glass in need of protection.

 

It was how he had always held Sam after nights of bad dreams or once John started taking Dean out on hunts, the angel would hold his human until he would stop crying, exactly like he had done the night before.

 

What John said hit him like a ton of bricks. He had no family left. Just Gabe. Dean had stayed behind, essentially agreeing with their father and kicking him out of their family.

 

“What are you thinking about?”

 

“You know what I’m thinking of.”

 

“Yeah but it’s a bit creepy to have someone in your head all the time, or so I’ve been told many times by Dean when he was obviously trying to hide something. I stay out as much as I can while making sure you two are healthy and unharmed.”

 

“Thanks, but you really don’t have to, I’ve known you since I was born, quite literally. I trust you more than I trust myself.” Wasn’t that part of the problem? Gabriel was practically his father, raising him whenever he safely could and not get his cover blown.

 

“And that is the exact reason I won’t exploit my powers with you or Dean. I trust you guys to tell me when you have something to tell me. I won’t go snooping around and find something you don’t want me to, that’s how pranks are ruined. If I find out what’s going to happen when I open this or that door, fun ruined.”

 

Sam thought about it, the pros and cons of just having Gabriel read his mind and getting the whole love thing over with. He might leave forever, but he might just stay, maybe even returning the feelings. At least Sam wouldn’t torture himself by pining over Gabe if he were to leave, he wouldn’t let his emotions grow into epic proportions just to be heartbroken. This way he could move on and find someone else.

 

He was just about to ask when Gabriel’s phone went off. Sam was confused. Only two people had that number, why would Dean be calling?

 

“Hey, I’ll be right there.” The archangel listened for a moment before nodding and hanging up. “I’m going to pick up Dean, okay? He has a few things to say.”

 

“Alright.” Sam said and Gabriel was gone, returning a second later with an air-sick worried Dean trapping his younger brother in a bear hug.

 

“I don’t give half a shit about what dad said, Sam. You’re my brother and I love you and you will always be welcome back to me. I need you to understand that.”

 

“I do, Dean.” Sam said returning the hug, feeling a huge wave of relief.

 

“Good. I talked to him, by the way. After waking him up in the worst way possible, curtains open and yelling, I woke up the rest of the neighbors by telling him every single way he was wrong and everything he should be proud about. He tried to stand his ground, but I knocked him to it. I don’t want you to think for a second that I’m not proud of you, or that I want to be out of your life. If you don’t want me living with you 24/7, I’m fine with that. I’ll just hunt and come over whenever I’m in town or Gabe brings me over.”

 

“Whatever happened to ‘no chick-flick moments’, eh Dean?” Gabriel piped up, walking into the room with mugs of hot chocolate. Sam crinkled his nose when the overwhelming sweet scent hit him. “Oh, relax, Bugs, I got you tea.”

 

“Bugs? I never heard that one.”

 

Sam chuckled. “He used to call me that, before you knew him. It started because I liked to eat healthy, ordering salads instead of the double decker burgers you guys got. He heard you call it rabbit food, so he started calling me Bugs. That was just after our motels started to get Looney Toons, he thought it was fitting to call me Bugs Bunny.”

 

“How did I never think of that?”

 

“You, my friend, are not a millennia old trickster who watches too many cartoons to be called an adult.”

 

“Oh, did you bring the impala over?”

 

“Of course, I know how much you love that thing, John will just think you’re on your way here.”

 

On that note, the three of them took their drinks and moved out to the living room, complete with many chairs and a giant flat-screen. Sam rolled his eyes, completely used to Gabriel giving them whatever the other kids got, or at least the privileged ones. It seemed he was trying to make up those years they could barely afford food and he couldn’t give them what they needed because Dean didn’t know and he couldn’t reveal himself. It just seemed that Gabriel’s idea of making up for that was to give them every piece of new technology available on the market, at least once John was leaving for weeks at a time, so when Sam was about six was when Charlie Brown came on on Christmas day on the shitty motel TV.

 

It was another three hours before John called. What surprised everyone was he called Sam. All that was said was he was proud of him, but still expected him to hunt for Mary’s killer. Sam told him off, that he would be going to college, make something of himself that he would be proud of, not some hunter that would get himself killed. John told him to call him when he “turned into a real man and decided to be there for his family”. Like he had any room to say that.

  


Even though neither Sam nor Gabriel have any qualms with Dean staying with them, he got pretty restless just staying inside all day. After about two weeks of living in the apartment, he moved out, saying things about needing to get on the road again and that he’d visit and call if he was in trouble.

 

Sam was flourishing in college, just like Gabriel knew he would. He was finally making friends, ones that weren’t his brother or a five-thousand-year-old archangel he’s known since the day he was born.

 

Brady was his name, Sam knew him from classes but Gabe had never met him. He talked about him a lot, about whatever happened and how Brady managed to mouth off to the teacher in a way that was still respectful.

 

He introduced him to a girl named Jessica Moore, trying to get Sam and her together. That night, while Sam was telling him about what happened during the day and Gabriel got back from torturing some assholes in southern California, was the first time that Sam was actually really shy with him.

 

They were talking about his day and Jess and Brady, and Sam just kind of…..trailed off. He stuttered, like he was expecting to be judged for what he was about to say next. That was the moment Sam told Gabriel he was gay.

 

He wasn’t surprised, it was most likely since they were soulmates and Gabriel’s homemade vessel was male, and no other vessel would fit him as well as this one did. Sam had his own free will, of course, he could go out with anyone he wanted, but, despite his attempts to give himself that privilege, it caught up with him. So Sam could love whoever he was in love with, but Gabriel would always chase and love the man even after his death.

 

Sam waited patiently for his reaction, almost frozen and waiting for the right moment to sprint. When the archangel saw this, he shrugged and cleaned up the mess on the counter and put some pizza on there. The human sagged with relief, practically melting as if Gabriel really believed whatever crap the news was spewing out every thirty seconds, or like he thought Gabriel would let that happen to him.

 

Sam had told Dean a while back, knowing his stance on the LGBT+ community and took it all in very well, but neither of them knew what Gabriel thought about it. On one hand, he was a pagan god known for week long orgies and having four or five children throughout the realms of Norse Mythology, on the other, he was an archangel and the bible-thumpers sometimes had a lot to say about that kind of stuff. They never knew which one to believe.

 

* * *

 

 

About a year later, Dean came over. He’d called Gabriel in advance and told him he was going to scare Sam, not wanting to be smited accidentally. He broke into his apartment, getting the jump on Sam and making some quips about his skill and break until he got pinned to the ground, Gabriel laughing in the corner.

 

The hunter told him about a hunt that was just down the road from the college and that he wanted to hang out with his brother. Gabriel stayed behind, confident that they could handle a ghost and that they’d call with any serious trouble.

 

Gabriel left the apartment to get some groceries, trying to help out the economy by actually paying for it instead of just shifting it into existence, when he passed by Jess’s house and heard her scream. It sounded muffled, he only picked it up because he was an angel. It definitely wasn’t a movie or something, it sounded far too human and the front door was slightly open.

 

The archangel dropped his bags and ran in, finding a demon cornering Jess in her own bedroom.

 

“Brady, wha-what are you doing? What did I do to you?”

 

Gabriel looked at him, the human soul was completely destroyed, the demon had obviously been using the body for a while. That meant he had talked to Sam, introduced him to Jessica and tried to get them together, he’d probably been planning to kill her before Sam could stop him, before he even knew it was him.

 

Those thoughts filled Gabriel with a rage. He had come to enjoy Jess’s company during their time together and he knew Sam would be devastated if he let this happen, really it was no choice when he pulled Jess out of the way and let the knife enter his gut.

 

Jessica already had many cuts and gashes, which Gabriel would heal later, but none of them were as serious as the one she would have gotten. The college student screamed in true psycho style, right then, trying to check on the archangel even from behind him.

 

Brady looked up, confused then worried then enraged. He attacked Gabriel with an animosity to rival people’s notions of Lucifer, not actually harming him, of course. Gabriel just walked up to the demon, keeping Jess locked behind the closed door so she wouldn’t get hurt.

 

Brady was smited within the minute, erased from existence with no hope for return. He found Jessica Moore leaning up against the opposite wall, crying and scared. She stood as soon as she saw him.

 

“What the hell are you?”

 

“Jessica, why don’t we go back to my apartment so I can show you?”

 

“Are you insane? You’re dangerous, you just pushed me out the door without your arms. You were just stabbed yet you’re walking like you were just yesterday. One of my friends just tried to kill me, how do I know you won’t either?”

 

“Because I can explain myself, I’m not trying to kill you now and Sam will help me. Dean will be there too, his brother, you met him a couple times, right?”

 

“Yeah, sure. Did...did you kill him?”

 

“Jessica, I will explain everything to you. Just give me a little time to explain. Okay?”

 

“Okay. After you.” Jess said before following Gabriel out.

 

* * *

 

“Gabriel, Jess? Jess what happened?” Sam said as soon as they walked into the room.

 

“She was attacked by Brady.” Gabriel said plainly.

 

“Wait, attacked? Was he…?” Dean trailed off, knowing that Jess could probably get Dean or Sam off of her and get away, let alone some scrawny little guy like Brady.

 

“Yes, he probably knew I was something, never having time to come over or anything. He was trying to kill her, would’ve without me there. He had her trapped, couldn’t run or anything until he was distracted.”

 

“Don’t act like some hero, you fucking monster or whatever the hell you are, I was fine.” Jessica said from where she was getting a beer.

 

Sam looked over at Gabriel, wondering what she saw and if they were going to lie or not. The archangel shook his head, Sam sighed, Dean grabbed the good whiskey and the three of them went to the table.

 

“What is going on here? Why are you guys acting like this is an intervention?”

 

“Because we always hate this talk, but we usually can’t do it with alcohol, so I’m using the good stuff while I can.” Dean said, watching as Gabriel pulled out a flask of shit so strong it could get him at least three quarters drunk.

 

“Fine.” The girl said, downing her beer and heading to the table.

 

“First off, questions. What do you want to know right off the bat?” Sam asked.

 

“What is he?” Jessica asked, looking at Sam yet pointing at Gabriel.

 

“Archangel.”

 

“You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

 

“Nope, sorry.” Dean said, taking his first sip.

 

“You’re gonna have to show me a little bit of evidence before I read into that pile of shit.”

 

The brothers shrugged, Gabriel let his wings manifest. The younger Winchester was the only one able to see all six wings without getting his eyes burned out, but the others could see two of them without harm.

 

“Whoa, wha- what the fuck? How does this even... this is your guys’s life?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much. As our dad put it our whole lives- ‘Saving people. Hunting things. The family business’.”

 

“What else is out there?”

 

“You’ve read mythology. Just about anything in those stories, except for aliens on earth, as of yet. That all depends on what else dear old dad decides to throw at these kids.”

 

“Gabe, I’m twenty, Dean is twenty-four. We aren’t kids.”

 

“You are talking to someone who watched God create the universe as a kid, the thousand year old Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, whatever gods are still kids to me. I remember when I was still changing your diaper and sneaking an extra bowl’s worth of Lucky Charms into the box so there’d be enough for both of you.”

 

“What was Brady? You said he was a something, what was he?” Jess asked, refilling her drink as she did.

 

“A demon. Most likely sent by Lilith.”

 

“Was he…” Dean asked, trailing off.

 

“No, he’s been long dead. Almost twenty years now. But he was still dangerous. Just because he wasn’t that one and that one is dead doesn’t mean they don’t have plans in motion, I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

 

“Who are you guys talking about?”

 

“Azazel. The demon that killed our mom. I’ve known Gabe since the day I was born, and six months after that mom died to a demon. Gabriel smote him before he could get anywhere. You never told me what he was doing there.”

 

“That is another conversation for another day and most likely one you will like more in private.”

 

“So let me see if I have this right. You two were raised to fight, or hunt, these demons and monsters and shit. People somehow don’t know about this shit even though they are all around us, and the only reason I know is because some twenty year episode of deadly family feud where one of the answers is Jessica dies but you answered before them and I live, correct?”

 

“Basically.”

 

“You were right, Dean. This is a lot easier with alcohol. But what about your dad? Why didn’t Azazel just kill him too? Why would he make you grow up as hunters? Why didn’t you save their mom like you did with me?”

 

Sam answered. “Dad wanted revenge because he views all supernatural creatures as evil and deserving of death, whether they actually do or not, so he knows nothing of Gabriel and thinks Azazel is still alive. Azazel needed someone to raise us and he certainly wasn’t going to do it, not to mention the fact that John didn’t even raise us. If anything, Dean raised me and had to grow up way too fast. And don’t beat him up about mom, he’s been doing that for the past twenty years.”

 

“If I had just been a bit earlier then none of this would’ve happened. She never wanted you two to be hunters, the worst the might’ve happened was she would divorce John and raise you two in Lawrence. Sam would become an amazing lawyer or whatever you might be interested in and Dean would be able to do whatever he wanted in life. I still would’ve been there, helping y’all along the way. And I’m 100% positive that Mary would’ve known I wasn’t there to hurt you guys, unlike what John would assume.” Gabriel’s eyes were shining with unshed tears.

 

“I told you not to beat yourself up. You got us out. I didn’t die from the smoke from the fire, you got Dean out without a scratch. You locked away the memory of watching my mother burn on the ceiling so I wouldn’t have any more nightmares. That counts for something.”

 

“Mom would always say the angels were watching over us. She had no idea.” Dean had tears falling by now. He had always been the most sensitive on the subject of their mother. The older Winchester toasted the ceiling, downing the rest of his glass and accepting the comfort of his brother and the archangel as they mourned. It wasn’t a common experience, but it wasn’t foreign either.

 

“You’ve convinced me,” Jess said after a few moments of silence, “any story that can make Dean Winchester cry is true.”

 

* * *

 

Winter break was here, seven months after that skit with Jess and Brady, and the Winchesters had nothing to do. Jessica couldn’t face her family with what she knew, she wouldn’t be able to keep the secret from her dad, and he deserved better than what they did. So she just told him that she couldn’t make it across the country to New York and she would be fine in California. He wasn’t super happy about it, but understood the fact that she wanted to save her money and told her to call him.

 

She did stay with Sam and Gabriel for Christmas, but the three of them took angel air to make their way to Bobby’s place, Jess wanting to learn more about the community and the people in it, or at least the ones Dean and Sam trusted.

 

Bobby had always known about Gabriel, as soon as John introduced his kids to the old hunter, though he still made everyone go through the tests, even the archangel. At first, he was very skeptical, always watching from the corner of his eye, but that just solidified his trust in the man. He knew nothing bad would happen to the kids while they were in his care. The only times he actually left them home ‘alone’ was when he knew Gabriel was there and he was only running to the store to get groceries or the little Weechesters some treats; bacon or ice cream or books or whatever.

 

So when they arrived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Bobby greeted them with a warm welcome. He even took in Jess without complaint, glad to have her over.

 

“So, how’d you get into the exclusive club, if you don’t mind me asking. What went after your loved ones?” Bobby asked bluntly once they settled in, not even startling the rest of them. The four men knew how almost every hunter came to be, though it was never easy to hear.

 

“Actually, she was one of the lucky ones. One of the only grateful ones too. She was attacked in the perfect timing for me to be walking past.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, why? How do people usually become VIP’s? And, although I’m still a bit messed up, but not enough to not know when to say thank you.”

 

“Well, people don’t usually get off as easily as you did. I just happened to be right there, right then. In all likelihood, Sam probably would’ve invited you out for drinks when he and Dean got back, finding you dead. That’s one of the only good things to come out of John Winchester, I can trust these two around a simple case and expect them not to get hurt. Anything tougher and I’m there, no matter what.”

 

“And people don’t usually say thank you, it’s just part of the job. We kill the things killing other people, usually the people we save are too distraught over a dead loved one to thank us, or they are pissed at us.”

 

“That’s a bit rude.”

 

“It ain’t the worst part of the job, trust us.”

 

“So, if you’re always on hunts and stuff, and you don’t get paid from that, where do you get money for motels and food?”

 

“Well, that’s what I’m here for.” Gabriel said. “This odd squirrel and moose combo have me to help them out when it comes to money and essentials.”

 

“How do most hunters do it?”

 

“Well, before I met Gabe, daddy dear taught me and Sammy how to hustle pool and poker. Sam never liked it, and Gabriel snuck extra money into my pockets, but he could never give us a whole lot, or else dear old Dad would’ve found it and drank it all away.”

 

“That and you would be suspicious. You’re a smart kid, Dean. You look out for anything possible that could hurt Sam, if you suddenly had enough money to do more than just get by, you might’ve packed up yours and Sam’s stuff and left, wanting to get Sam to safety. Don’t ever believe you aren’t a fantastic big brother.”

  


Over the course of the week, Jess learned a lot about hunting and what the ones off the field did. It obviously not the safest job in the world, but Jess would never feel safe again, at least now she would be helping people in the process. She told them it was what she wanted to do, to finish (at least) that year of college and then she would take up shop in South Dakota. Her medical training would at least be helpful.

  


Sam stayed in school, training Jess and getting her in the right kind of shape for hunting. She was always muscled and lean, but she needed to know how to fight, not just escape. There were things in the world that would want her dead, and she needed to know how to handle that.

 

Gabriel helped a lot. He had trained both Dean and Sam, taught them how to properly defend themselves, instead of just throwing a punch and hoping for the best. That had started after the hospital incident, he had realized that Sam didn’t want to fight and hurt the other kids, but didn’t know what to do.

 

Gabriel still remembered that day it were yesterday, how scared he had been, how he had held Sam, just to make sure he was still there and together, how he had marveled at how beautiful that soul still was after having so much done to it. He just hoped it stayed that way.

 

* * *

 

Once that year of college was over, Jess had accepted that this was the way the world just was and had Gabriel fly her over to New York to visit her dad. They had their own mini-Christmas and she told him that she was going to work in South Dakota, that she had someone to stay with and a job secured, and that she would visit whenever she could.

 

“Why South Dakota?” Her dad had asked.

 

“Because the job wants me, not some nurse with a doctorates. They need me over there, told me themselves. I’ve checked it out and think it’s something I want to do.”

 

“If that’s what you want.”

 

“Thanks Dad.”

 

The visit went on from there. With gift exchanges and a KFC family meal, it was one of her favorite visits.

 

* * *

 

 

Sam went on hunts with Dean when he asked, when he needed a partner and wanted Sam to be there. He never wanted to do hunting for a job, but Stanford didn’t really have much to offer, he only had Gabriel there, and while he was awesome, it was hard to focus on other things when you were constantly with the one you secretly loved.

 

So Sam dropped out of school after three years to join Dean in hunting. On the very first hunt after coming back, they find John. Dean hadn’t seen or heard from him in a while, but he wasn’t too worried, there’d be something to tell them if he died.

 

But Dean got a call from a demon that had escaped from him a while back, saying how he had their father, and he didn’t have to convince Sam to go. John was a shitty dad, but the youngest Winchester didn’t think that translated to deserving to die.

 

So they got to Missouri, Bobby and Jess on speed dial if they needed anything, and headed out, Gabriel by their side the whole way there and during, even if Dean couldn’t see him. As soon as they got to the meeting place, Meg was there, laughing at them. She was thrown out a window without a second thought.

 

Gabriel took the job of flying her to South Dakota and explaining what happened. He stayed there as they trapped her and Bobby exorcised her, Gabriel killing the demon in the most torturous of ways and healing Meg’s vessel.

 

Jess was a bit in awe of Gabriel after his show of power, surprised by the fury that came out of purposely hurting his boys.

 

“Yeah, he’s a scary motherfucker when he wants to be.” Bobby whispered in her ear, making the archangel smile and wink at them.

 

When he joined back up with the Winchesters in a log cabin, that fury returned to seek vengeance. He had been invisible, the only one who could see him was Sam, who alerted Dean with a system of tapping on the table they had figured out years ago, until he got a look at John.

 

Not John, but oh he wished it was. Standing in the oldest hunter’s place was a demon Gabriel thought he got rid of a long time ago. Immediately becoming visible and pinning John’s body against the wall, he snarled at the monster, ignoring the boy’s shouts of “GABE!’

 

“Oh, it’s you again, hullo.” Azazel said calmly, not fooling the archangel for a second, showing everyone in the room

 

Sam fell to the floor, an onslaught of memories unlocked and flooding his mind. He felt like a child again, scared and with only his big brother there, who was holding him and trying to calm him down from where he was on the ground.

 

Gabriel growled again, and Azazel tried to smoke out, but the archangel caught it, much like he had done to Meg just five minutes before. The archangel let out all his fury upon the demon, twisting and torturing the corrupted soul.

 

Soon he was dead, and Gabriel rushed over to Sam, ignoring John Winchester’s shouts from across the room. It took a lot out of him, but the archangel stopped the ambush of infantile memories. The youngest Winchester was still on the floor, convulsing with the strength of remembrance.

 

Gabriel managed to carry Sam to the bed in the middle of the room before John broke free of Dean holding him back and pulled him off of Sam.

 

The archangel turned towards him, eyes glowing with grace and ferocity. “If you think I am going to be calm and nice to you after what you put these boys through _and_ trying to take me away from Sam when he is in need, you have obviously never researched anything as a hunter.”

 

“And just who do you think you are?”

 

“I am the one who will kill you if you keep me away from Sam for another second.” Gabriel turned back to the kid in question just as he started whimpering and whispering the archangel’s name. “I’m here, I’m doing everything I can. Dean, I’m taking us back to Bobby’s hopefully Jess can help him out, or at least tell me what to do.” He said right before he left.

 

“Dean, what the hell is going on?”

 

“I’ll explain on the way, just get in the car.”

 

* * *

 

Dean explained it all to John, what Gabriel was and how he had been watching over them the whole time and how much he had done for them. How he had taken care of them when John wasn’t there to do it. How much he cared about them both, and how much he meant to the both of them. He told John about what Gabriel had done for Sam after he made the kid feel so unwanted and left behind. Everything the archangel had done was to protect them and give them a better life.

 

When they were halfway there, Bobby called, saying that Sam was fine and okay but Gabriel was passed out, something about using a lot of power but not to separate them. Bobby explained how the pagan magic he had used was only working because of physical contact, and that he was running on his Loki reserves.

  


Sam woke up next to Gabriel. It wasn’t the first time, but it was the first he had woken up cuddling with Gabriel and with Dean sleeping in the chair next to him….in Bobby’s house. It was concerning, and he was starving, as soon as he moved to get the archangel off of him, the man in question woke up.

 

“Sam...Sam! Sam you’re awake! Oh Dad you scared us, everybody.”

 

“Yeah, what happened?”

 

All the commotion woke up Dean. “Sam? What do you remember?”

 

“We were in the cabin thing in Missouri, dad was there and Gabe took Meg here to exorcise her, then he got back and pinned dad against the wall and then….all that’s left are yellow eyes and fire and…...mom.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Sammy.” Gabriel said. “Oh Father I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I thought he was dead, this shouldn’t have happened. I’msosososorry.” the archangel was hugging his hunter tight, as if he was wondering if he was still there and in one piece.

 

“So what did happen? All we know is that he started seizing and then you somehow fixed it.” Bobby said, walking in with Jess, who immediately ran to hug Sam.

 

All eyes turned to Gabriel, including John’s who was looking at him with hesitant disgust, like he was scared to piss him off. “I thought I’d killed Azazel that night in the nursery. I thought he was dead and if I hid Sam’s memories of Mary burning above him that they’d never come back. But he had, apparently, left right before I could get him, so seeing him with his yellow eyes made all the memories flood back into Sam’s brain. Memories like that are supposed to be thought about and dealt with, so the ambush was too much for his human subconscious to handle. Hell, if that happened to me I probably wouldn’t have turned out too well. But now the demon is dead for certain and this can’t happen again.”

 

“So you were there when Mary died? If you loved Sam so much then why didn’t you save her you sick son of a bitch?” John angrily asked Gabriel.

 

“Don’t blame him! You were the one who ruined our lives. People die every day, some of them are mothers. It’s never easy but you didn’t have to go on a killing spree and forget about your children because of it!” Sam yelled. Jess seemed surprised, having never seen Sam angry before, but the rest of them tensed, getting ready to break up a fight.

 

“I didn’t forget about you! You two are alive right? Who do you think fed you and put a roof over your head!?”

 

“Gabriel. You left Dean alone to take care of me since he was four! You left us alone for weeks on end with nothing but a box of lucky charms and cans of soup! Gabriel was there for all of it! He made sure there was enough, he made sure the motel room was paid! All the while you were on a revenge spree to kill the thing that killed your wife, our MOTHER! You don’t think we weren’t a little messed up about it? Instead of letting Dean grieve, you turned him into a soldier, Gabriel was the only thing that got him to stop blindly following you around and kept me from doing the same!”

 

“I taught you how to protect yourself!”

 

“You gave me a .45 when I told you I was afraid of the dark!”

 

“You shouldn’t be afraid. Fight back.”

 

“I WAS NINE! I WAS AFRAID OF A MONSTER IN THE CLOSET! UNDER THE BED! INSTEAD OF TELLING ME EVERYTHING WAS OKAY YOU TOLD ME I WAS RIGHT! WHO DOES THAT TO A KID!? DEAN SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR ME! HE SHOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO!”

 

“WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO, SAM? LET THAT THING ROAM FREE?”

 

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOVE US, CARE ABOUT US, SPEND TIME WITH US! CARE ABOUT US MORE THAN YOUR SILLY REVENGE PLOT!”

 

Sam lunged for John before anyone could stop him. He knocked him to the ground, pinning his father with his legs while he beat the ever loving shit out of him, fighting off anyone who tried to stop him.

 

Eventually Gabriel pulled Sam off, throwing him over his shoulder like a little kid.

 

Bobby kicked John out of his house that day.

  


Once the commotion had died down a bit, Gabriel and Sam were in the latter’s room. He wanted to make sure the spell was holding up until he was back to full power and could make it permanent, which meant constant contact.

 

Sam had been really thinking about it for three years now, secretly wanting it all his life, and decided this was the best time. In the middle of _The Avengers_ , while Gabriel was laughing at their version of Loki, Sam leaned down a bit to kiss him. Instead of shoving him away, the archangel moved along with him. Later the soulmate thing was explained, and neither could be happier.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel didn’t have much trouble derailing the apocalypse from then on. With Azazel gone, heaven and hell needed to rethink their plans for getting Dean to hell, which Gabriel would avoid for as long as he could. But it also meant that they would be looking for the one who did it. Castiel was sent to find him.

 

The three of them were in a diner, just eating some lunch, when Gabriel perked up, sensing another angel in the vicinity. Castiel walked through the doors and scanned his eyes across the room, in all respects a brainwashed soldier. Gabriel was ready to defend at any moment, then Castiel’s eyes caught Dean’s.

 

He could see it instantly, a connection between the two, and snuck his hand to Sam’s hip, where the physical proof of their bond lay. Sam understood instantly, despite the lack of words, and smiled. Wondering how long it would take them.

 

* * *

 

Turns out, less than a week. And Castiel never understood how Gabriel could stay in a platonic, if not familial, relationship with Sam for so long, just like Gabriel could never understand Cas ignoring the call to his soulmate.

 

Bobby and Jess did well on the phone line, it was helpful to have someone able to give medical advice, but they had to add another line in order to keep from jamming them.

 

And they all lived happily hunter after.

 


End file.
